A Composition Course That Focuses on Virginia Woolf

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It’s advising season here at Bucks County Community College and you are probably pondering what classes you should take for the Fall of 2018.

If you need to take a COMP class, well more particularly COMP 111, then you may be interested in Professor Lois Gilmore’s COMP class.

Well, what sets that COMP class apart from all the others? “The course is an Honors course — COMP111(H).N01, so it is in a particular category with a bit more freedom to explore than some other courses,” Gilmore states.

The course will be a bit more difficult than the normal COMP111 class however, this class will explore the works of Virginia Woolf.

Well, who is Virginia Woolf? You don’t want to go into a class blind, especially one that is as interesting as this one.

“Virginia Woolf (1182-1941) was an English modernist writer, whose experimental novels allow for a variety of research opportunities,” Gilmore states.

The students need to know what exactly they’re getting into in terms of content, and Gilmore has the answers for you.

“The students are exploring her fiction for their research paper project topics like Woolf and fashion, Woolf and art — painterly aspects of her writing, Woolf and colonialism, Woolf and feminism, Woolf and 20th century innovations like cars/phonographs/etc., Woolf and formalist practices, Woolf and subsequent publication covers, Woolf and Time, and so forth,” says Gilmore.

Gilmore continues, “Students are focused on her novels and stories like ‘To the Lighthouse,’ ‘Mrs Dalloway,’ Jacob’s Room,’ “Kew Gardens” to name a few. Although we move on to other writers for the poetry and drama section, we try to connect with Woolf.”

Out of every writer that has ever lived, why Virginia Woolf? Why does she outrank the likes of Twain or Shakespeare?

“Another reason for choosing Virginia Woolf is the variety of writing she did. There are essays, diaries, and journals available for the students to research and connect to their projects and allow us to mark the differences between primary and secondary source material and a range of research techniques.” Gilmore says.

Professor Gilmore has showed a particular interest in the works of Woolf, she states, “I am very interested in Virginia Woolf — you might say REALLY interested in her life and work. I have been writing papers and attending the International Virginia Woolf Society conferences for quite a few years, presenting at most. Several of my essays have appeared in the Selected Papers publications.

There needs to be benefits to taking a class, well that’s a broad statement however, there needs to be benefits to taking this class. No matter what class you take, there needs to be some sort of benefits t taking it, whether it be short term or long term, we always learn something.

Gilmore adamantly states, “I think students can learn a great deal from an in-depth study, along with a wide range of possibilities. Most of my students will be presenting at the Student Research Conference; perhaps they will inspire other students to explore Woolf’s writings. I am hoping that my students will find Woolf as interesting as I do.”

So whenever you meet with your advisor, make sure you request to take Professor Gilmore’s COMP111 class, it looks like it will be a fun and interesting class to take.